Plastics

PSD Nepal partners with the mountain communities of Nepal to cultivate circular economies focused on waste and plastic solutions. Our pilot schemes, including a 1 PET bottle = 1 NPR incentive program, have successfully removed tens of thousands of plastic bottles from the environment each month. These bottles are recycled in Pokhara at Himalayan Plastic and creatively upcycled for educational purposes, while also promoting environmental and cultural heritage.

Vision: Cultivating circular economies in the Himalayan National Parks of Nepal.

Mission: Recycling PET plastic bottles from National Parks and promoting creative upcycling.

Goal: Promoting viable job creation, environmental wellbeing, and sustainable local management.

The Himalayan Plastic Removal Project continues to make significant strides in Langtang Valley, where over 50,000 trekkers visit annually. The Langtang region generates an estimated 200,000 plastic bottles each trekking season, adding to the existing 5 million plastic bottles left behind by past treks. This total amounts to over 125 tons of waste, contributing to environmental degradation in one of Nepal's most beautiful regions.

Through our waste management initiatives, PSD Plastics has established three operational waste segregation sites in Syafru Besi, Mundu, and Kyanjin Gompa. These sites work as collection points for waste, where over 40,000 plastic bottles are recycled each month, directly contributing to the reduction of plastic waste in the area. Our "1 bottle = 1 NPR" incentive scheme has been instrumental in encouraging local participation and raising awareness about the importance of recycling.

The collected plastic is sent to Himalayan Plastic in Pokhara, where it is transformed into valuable products, from recycled PET for new bottles to creative upcycled items that are sold in local markets. This process not only reduces plastic pollution but also creates jobs and economic opportunities for local communities.

PSD Plastics has successfully partnered with local governments, community organizations, and other stakeholders to implement sustainable waste management solutions. Continously implemented educational programs and raised awareness about waste management. These collaborations have been key to improving the effectiveness and reach of waste management services, ensuring that communities and tourists benefit from cleaner surroundings and more efficient waste collection systems.

PSD Plastics is driven by an ambitious vision for the future. By 2030, we aim to significantly expand our operations and enhance our impact through the following initiatives:

Expansion of Infrastructure

To address the growing need for waste management in remote areas, PSD Plastics plans to build new sorting centers and upgrade transportation systems. These expansions will ensure that even the most isolated communities can access effective waste collection and recycling services. Additionally, we aim to create more partnerships with markets outside Kathmandu and Pokhara to broaden the reach of upcycled products and support local economies.

Policy Advocacy and Waste Reduction

We are committed to supporting policy initiatives that reduce plastic waste, such as banning single-use plastics in Langtang National Park. As part of this effort, we plan to install water filtration systems in public spaces, schools, and tourist facilities to minimize the reliance on plastic water bottles.

Community-Led Sustainability

PSD Plastics will continue to strengthen its relationships with local communities through training programs, educational outreach, and financial incentives for waste collection. By increasing payment rates for collected plastic waste, we aim to further motivate participation and address rising living costs.

Research and Development

Ongoing research is crucial to the success of PSD Plastics. We are actively monitoring waste management practices across Nepal and beyond, identifying successful models and innovative technologies to incorporate into our programs. Collaboration with academic institutions and researchers will enable us to remain at the forefront of waste management innovation.

Tourism and Conservation Synergy

PSD Plastics plans to launch initiatives like "Clean-Up Treks," where tourists can actively participate in waste collection during their trekking journeys. Additionally, we will organize "Collection Days" to mobilize volunteers in cleaning remote and less-trafficked areas. These programs will not only protect Nepal’s environment but also foster a sense of responsibility and engagement among visitors.

PSD Plastics owes much of its vision and success to the late Samuel Gregory Johns, affectionately known as "Plastic Shyam." Samuel was a passionate environmentalist and co-founder of PSD Plastics, whose groundbreaking work in Langtang Valley and his commitment to sustainable waste management have left a profound impact. Together with Bishnu Bhatta, he founded PSD Plastics in 2017, pioneering innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste problem in the Langtang region.

In 2024, to honor his legacy, the Samuel Memorial House was inaugurated in Kyanjin Gompa. This facility serves as a hub for community education, training programs, and workshops focused on waste management, recycling, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation. The house is a testament to Samuel's vision of a cleaner environment and empowered communities. His innovative ideas and dedication to both people and nature continue to inspire our work.

Recycling is currently conducted in parntership with Himalayan Plastic, Pokhara. With over 200 tonnes of plastic bottle (PET) waste annually in the National Parks of Nepal,  PSD Nepal is forming partnerships with local communities to promote recycling. In Langtang National Park, CDO, LNP and local elder KGLS (Kyangen Gumpa Langtang Society) partnerships are running the clearing, collection, and recycling logic. Presently, over 40,000 bottles are recycled every month from Langtang (c. 1 tonne PET/month, 12t/yr). Read more at the link about the Himalayan Plastic recycling facility, who operate a PET re-purposing plant in Pokhara. Watch the PSD project in action.

Support this scheme, by getting in touch with us on our connect page

Upcycling with PSD Nepal is run in three streams - action architecture, education, and upcycled HDPE products. See our upcycling page for all the details ! We have built a Plastic PET Pavilion in Langtang National Park, of 2,447 upcycled plastic bottles, to showcase the plastics issue in the Himalaya. PSD Nepal also runs educational awareness activities for schools and community groups on waste, using upcycled PET plastic bottle caps. Further upcycling is facilitated by a technical team from NAST, headed up by Dr Rabindra Dhakal, with a pyrolysis machine converting plastic waste into RDF (reduced diesel fuel), with 80% efficiency. 

Upcycling is defined as the process of transforming by-products & waste materials, useless into new materials or products of better quality or environmental value. See our upcycling page for more

The Nepali Times featured PSD Plastics in national news, with a spotlight focus on Langtang National Park and the social enterprise work of PSD in creating both local employment and income generation, as well as waste clearing and environmental stewardship.

"Langtang Valley is just beginning to recover from the earthquake three years ago, but another disaster looms large here in the high Himalaya: The Plastic Crisis. As the region rebuilds, tourists are flocking back to this stunningly scenic region, 7-hour drive north of Kathmandu. Every year, about 15,000 trekkers visit the Langtang National Park, using up and leaving behind 200,000 plastic water bottles. A conservative estimate puts the number of discarded bottles in Langtang Valley alone at 5 million."

https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/plastic-money/

Photo Credit: Yuvaraj Shrestha

In the summer of 2023, we were very sad to find the carcasses of dead yaks above Kyanjin Gompa (Langtang National Park), who had all died from the injestion of plastic, mostly thin plastic bags. As we know, plastic bottles stay in the environment for 450+ years. Plastic bags are ubiquitous in Nepal, and can cause much short-term damage as well, including river pollution, environmental degradation, health hazards - and this tragic story of yaks (including calves) losing their lives.

This is the cost of not dealing with the plastic crisis.